


Guitar Strings on Film

by l_e_crivainsolitaire



Category: Free!
Genre: Actor!Rin, Actors, Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Crushes, M/M, Mentors, Musicians, Sosuke has a celeb crush, Sosuke is kind of awkward, SouMako - Freeform, actor!sosuke, band!makoto
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-12
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2018-12-14 14:06:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11784732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/l_e_crivainsolitaire/pseuds/l_e_crivainsolitaire
Summary: Three things to know about Sousuke:One. An injury forced Sousuke to take a hiatus from acting.Two. On his return, he's cast for a movie he would have never accepted. But his name doesn't quite have the same weight as it once did—and it's just everyone's eyes are on Kisumi Shigino, idol turned actor. Better idol than actor, Sousuke thought.Three. Sousuke nurses a chip on his shoulder, figuratively and literally, so he's a little bitter and he's a a little bit—a lot, Rin says—more abrasive than before. So he makes a decision to quit after this movie—but he hasn't told anyone yet.(rating to change)





	1. Opening Act.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edit: 5/16/18
> 
> Yooo. lmao. I forgot about this fic and say it on my google docs. I'm going to polish it up a little.

"They're so good!" Rin yelled over the sound system and just to make sure Sousuke knew what he was trying to say he points at the band up front and gives a double thumbs up. Sousuke just nodded and kept his eyes forward. It wasn't Sousuke's choice to be here—rock concerts weren't really his scene anyway, but again, it wasn't his choice. The decision came from his higher ups, ultimately passed on to Sousuke's manager and here he was. To make appearances—his manager said,  and sort of unofficially announce that he's ready for the public eye again.

Three things to know about Sousuke:

One. An injury forced Sousuke to take a hiatus from acting.

Two. On his return, he's cast for a movie he would have _ never _ accepted. But his name doesn't quite have the same weight as it once did—and it's just everyone's eyes are on Kisumi Shigino, idol turned actor. Better idol than actor, Sousuke thought.

Three. Sousuke nurses a chip on his shoulder, figuratively and literally, so he's a little bitter and he's a a little bit— _ a lot _ , Rin says—more abrasive than before. So he makes a decision to quit after this movie—but he hasn't told anyone yet.

That made him feel guilty, so when his manager told him to go watch a concert, he said yes. Rin went with him (thank God), but he was surprisingly really into it. Earlier, he had the balls to say he wasn't a fan of Hi-Speed, yet here he was, singing along to every song and even dancing.

Sousuke doesn't get it.

Well, not that Sousuke could really judge—he was an actor by trade, but he didn't need to be a musician to know that the band was...alright. The drummer had high energy, but he'd go out of sync here and there. Sousuke couldn't even hear the bassist—and he seemed really nervous. The vocalist was actually good, but for some reason he was pissing Sousuke off, he had this air of arrogance and— _ what the fuck?  _ Sousuke's focus shifted.

The guitarist had moved forward for his solo, his back pressed against the vocalist as he sang.  _ This _ , Sousuke admitted, was actually good. 

No, not good, kind of...  _ perfect _ . 

It was this guy who saved the band, Sousuke was convinced—or he was being biased because he can admit quickly to himself that the guitarist is his type. 

Then the vocalist sort of does a scream and moved away from the mic, Sousuke narrowed his eyes when the guitarist steps up. He starts singing and—

_ Fuck. _

"Yeah!" Rin cheered, pumping his fist into the air. And okay,  _ now  _ , Sousuke gets it.

 

**++**

 

Hi-Speed ends their concert with an emotional rock piece—Sousuke gave it all his attention, because the guitarist seemed to be the main singer for this song. And thank the fucking _ gods  _ he did, because it was beautiful. Even the bassist and drummer were doing better. The vocalist—to Sousuke's surprise—was actually playing the guitar, leaving the guitarist to give the song his all.

When the song ends, Sousuke felt the adrenaline coursing through him and he even cheered along with Rin when the band takes their bow.

"Thank you for coming, everyone," the vocalist paused for a moment while the audience whoops and cheers. When they quieted down, he stretched out an arm to the guitarist. "How was he today?"

More cheers and whistling. Sousuke swore the guitarist looked embarrassed, but he ignored it for now.

"Makoto ( _ Sousuke made a mental note _ ) had been hiding this voice from us this whole time," he wiped sweat off his brow before continuing. "So, we decided to debut it today and hopefully Makoto will agree to taking the lead on more songs in the future."

The vocalist passed the mic over to Makoto, who rejected it at first, but the vocalist just shoved it in his hands. "Ah," Makoto's voice wasn't as strong as it was when singing. "Thank you for your support. I'm glad everyone enjoyed the song. It was really fun for me."

The band said their final goodbyes and once the stage is cleared, people started clearing out too.

"What did you think," Rin asked, almost breathless.

Sousuke rubbed the back of his neck, "that was fun."

"Good," Rin said. "I can’t wait to start working with them.”

Sousuke almost dropped his phone. “You’re kidding.”

“No, for the movie—what the hell, do you not pay attention during meetings?” Rin frowned. “Of course you fucking don’t,” Rin muttered and pulled Sousuke towards the backstage. “You better get it together.”

“What the  _ fuck  _ ,” Sousuke said under his breath. Were they meeting them  _ now _ ? After he just internally fanboyed all over the guitarist? Because (not that Sousuke would ever say it out loud) he was tempted to do massive internet search on this guy, stop himself, then give in to the curiosity when he got home. Although, Rin could probably tell him, but Sousuke is not ready to have Rin sneering at him about this.

 

**++**

 

Backstage was a lot less busy than Sousuke would have thought. There were just some guys putting away some instruments and packing up equipment. Rin flashed their VIP badges and was let through.

“They’re tired, so if they’re not chatty, don’t mind it too much.” Miho Amakata—Hi-Speed’s manager—pointed towards a closed door just down the hall.

“Thanks,” Rin had to pull Sousuke along, because he wasn’t moving. Sousuke felt his palms were sweaty and wiped them on his jeans—hopefully Rin didn't notice his nerves.

“Are you just gonna barge in?” Sousuke tugged at Rin’s arm when he puts a hand on the doorknob.

Rin shrugged, but goes ahead and knocked.

“Come in,” a voice came from behind the door and Rin opened it gently, peeking in before completely swinging the door open. Sousuke searched the room for Makoto first, he couldn’t help himself. And he wished he didn’t. Makoto was sitting on the couch, arms spread and head leaned back. That would have been okay, but the guy had his shirt off, hanging off his neck like this was a goddamn locker room. To be fair, all four of the members had taken off their shirts, but Sousuke didn’t find it as scandalous.

“Oh, hi!” Makoto sat up and quickly put on his shirt, Sousuke  _ almost _ felt sad. “Are you the guys we’re working with for the movie? Did you guys watch the show?”

“Yeah, I’m a big fan,” Rin said, ( _ what the fuck, Rin, didn’t you say you weren’t a fan this morning? _ ) “It was so good! I didn’t know you can sing!”

Sousuke made a last minute decision to plug in a compliment, “yeah, you were good.”  _ What the fuck.  _ “I mean, I never heard anything like that before. You got yourself a new fan for sure.”  _ What the FUCK. _

“I had to force him.” The vocalist interjected and Sousuke grimaced inside, because _fuck off man_ , _I’m trying to have a conversation_ _here_. 

Makoto grinned, a sly smile on his face. Was this guy’s shy persona all for show? Not that it mattered. Sousuke was like that too. “Thanks, I’m glad you guys enjoyed it.” He locked eyes with Sousuke and he barely handled it, “and I’m happy to have a new fan, but hopefully, we’ll be friends soon.”

_ Shit  _ .

Then the worst thing happened, because all Sousuke wanted to do was go home. “You guys want to join us for dinner?” The bassist was the one to ask.

“Seriously?” Rin sounded elated. “Yeah, if it’s no big deal.”

Sousuke just nodded because he didn’t trust his voice right now.

**++**

 

When Sousuke got home from the dinner that night, he asked himself:

_ Is Makoto hot to everyone else, or is it just me?  _ He wanted to ask Rin, but that was a dangerous thought. He sat on the idea for about thirty minutes before giving in.

**Sousuke Yamazaki:** What’s the guitarist’s name again?

Read 3:12AM

**Rin (Personal):** lmmmmmaaaaaoooooo!!!!!

**Rin (Personal):** stop pretending, ommmgggg.

Read 3:15AM

**Sousuke Yamazaki:** Fuck off. Forget it then.

Read 3:15AM

**Rin (Personal):** It'sMakoto. Why are you asking?

Read 3:16AM

**Sousuke Yamazaki:**  Just wondering.

 **Sousuke Yamazaki:** And, he's kind of...

Read 3:18AM

 **Rin (Personal):** okok, if you're gonna confess something right now, i want you to do it when you're more awake

 **Rin (Personal):** not when you're tired, like now.

Read 3:20

 **Sousuke Yamazaki:** hmm just tell me one thing.

 **Sousuke Yamazaki:** It's not just me right?

Read 3:21

 

Rin never did reply to that.

 

**Opening/End.**

 

  
  



	2. Track One. Act One.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sosuke tries to practice. Makoto has a concert.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to apologize. I don't actually write like this. This is pretty casual and kind of done without much thought to the writing style. Most of the stories I have right now are highly stylized and it gets hard writing in that kind of manner. So to take a break from it, I have this story. Which I LOVE writing. I think it's so fun just sort of writing without thinking about it too much. So I apologize if it sounds ugly.

It took Sousuke maybe a month to get accustomed to being around Makoto without blundering too much in front of him. It helped that Sousuke was also starting to actually _enjoy_ playing the guitar. He didn’t have a hard time with barre chords, due to his, as Makoto said, “big hands”— _t_ _ hat  _ was a situation to try and get through—but he still had a hard time trying to make the melodies go together instead of making it sound like he was playing one chord at a time.

They were meeting again today—they have been, almost everyday, even Rin had to complain—but it only served as a chance for Sousuke to actually pursue friendship with Makoto. However, this would be the first time they were meeting at the apartment instead of the studio and that gave Sousuke some hope. Not that Makoto wasn’t friendly—because he was. How could he not when he’s friends with someone like Nanase?

For the first few days of practice, Makoto had been bringing that vocalist along to their sessions. Sousuke didn't really have the right to complain, the studio belonged to them, still, it was annoying. Nanase would barely talk when spoken to and when he did speak without any prompting, it was to comment on how Sousuke wasn’t doing it right. Makoto finally did stop bringing him after an incident which ended with a snapped string and a litany of “fuck you’s.”

Thank God Makoto was sensible.

When Sousuke’s doorbell rang, he paced the room trying to decide if he should open it immediately or wait for a bit. He didn’t want to seem like he was too excited but he didn’t want to seem disinterested either. It was Rin who finally made the decision for him.

“Hey,” Rin greeted when he opened the door. Sousuke can’t see Makoto, but he imagines that Makoto has a smile on his face with the guitar slung over his shoulder and—”Sousuke, your boyfriend is here.”

_ Fucking fuck. Fuck. _

Sousuke dashed towards the door and gave Makoto an apologetic smile. “Sorry, don’t pay attention to him. He’s just jealous I haven’t been hanging out with him as much. Come in.”

“Ah,” Makoto  _ did  _ have that smile on his face, but it was a bit more awkward now. “Thanks, sorry to intrude.”

“Not at all,” Sousuke said, shoving Rin out of the apartment, “Rin was just leaving—he has a meeting with our manager.”

“What the fuck. Sousuke, my shoe—!” Before Rin could do even more damage to his already crumbling reputation with Makoto, Sousuke slammed the door shut. When he turned around, Makoto was still standing at the entry, looking unsure about what to do. “Are you sure you’re okay with practicing here?” He asked.

“Yeah,” Sousuke scratched at the back of his head. “It’s fine. Just...um, you can take your shoes off. Make yourself at home.”

“If you say so,” Makoto raised an eyebrow and removed his shoes, shuffling into the apartment, still obviously uncomfortable.  

“So...want a drink—or something?” Sousuke followed behind him, feeling awkward himself.

Makoto shakes his head, unpacking the acoustic guitar from its case. “I’m alright. I thought today, we should work on switching chords. You only have to learn three songs anyway.”

“Are we going to get right into practice?” Sousuke asked and immediately regretted it. Makoto was trying to be a professional and here he was trying to get chummy.

“Oh,” Makoto’s eyes widened. “We don’t have to. Um, uh...what do you want to do?” He placed the guitar to the side.

_ Thank the fucking gods. _

This was his chance. “We can talk—or, I don’t know—talk about stuff...like maybe um, what got you into music? Or what shampoo you use? Stuff.”  _ Well, fuck. _

Then, Sousuke wished he didn’t shove Rin out of the apartment because Makoto laughed and Rin would at least provide some emotional support (maybe. No, probably not). Makoto was  _ clutching his sides  _ laughing. Tears streaming down his eyes laughing. Sousuke  _ knows  _ it wasn’t even funny. Did he look  _ that  _ stupid?

“You want to get to know me better?” Makoto clarified, after wiping the tears away. “You’re really weird sometimes.” He sighed and Sousuke decided that was a point for him.

“I’m trying not to,” Sousuke sat across from Makoto and leaned forward. “I just think, you’re really cool—and I’m always trying not to get too excited.”

Makoto grinned ( _ yes! Another point!  _ ), a flush spreading across his cheeks. “Thanks—but you’re cool too. I’m actually also a fan of your work. I especially enjoyed the one where you played the villain!”

Sousuke winced,  _ The Lo-Fi Stint  _ was an action comedy—it had been his first time playing a villain and he thought it was one of his worst performances—and one of the most raunchiest. “Really?” He imagined Makoto watching the scene where he’s naked and—  _ no  _ . He can’t think of that right now, so with all his willpower, he pushes it away from him mind.

“Yeah,” Makoto seemed to relax a bit more. “It was really fun to watch and I could see were trying your best. So imagine my surprise when we were told we’d be individually working with the cast!”

“And here we are…” Sousuke sighed.

“And here we are.”  Makoto repeated. “What do you like to do in your spare time?”

Sousuke shrugged, trying to think of something cool to say, but all he really did was workout, watched movies, or played a video game here and there. He settled for what he thought was the cooler of the three, “I workout.”

“Um, yeah,” Makoto looked like he was trying not to laugh. “I can see that.”

Sousuke ignored it and kept going—he wanted to slap himself, or have Rin do it, but he can’t stop. “You’re pretty cut yourself.”

“I try,” Makoto was laughing now. “I don’t think this is conversation is working out,” He’s trying to hold more of his laughter back.

Sousuke’s heart sank. He could hear Rin making fun of him now. In all honesty, Sousuke had never been that great with words. He was more of a show it instead of say it kind of guy, but he doesn’t know how to deal with relationships either. Not when he had put most, if not all of his energy into acting. The last true relationship he had was more for show and lasted only a few months. His latest fling had been with Rin—nothing too serious, maybe a fuck here and there, but they decided they were much better as friends. He doesn't know if Makoto will end up the same way, but trying has never gone badly for Sousuke. Besides, as a friend, Makoto seemed to be pretty awesome too.

“Sorry,” Sousuke groaned.

Makoto shook his head, getting out the last of his laughter. “It’s just—you act like I’m going to bite you! You can relax around me, I promise I’ll try not to laugh again.”

“Sorry,” was all Sousuke could say.

Makoto got his composure back and sighed a few times, “You’re  _ really  _ funny.” He reached into the pocket of his guitar case and pulls something out. “Here,” He handed them to Sousuke.

“Oh,” Sousuke was surprised. “Tickets…”

“To our show at the Saitama Super Stadium.” Makoto recounted the tickets in Sousuke’s hand. “There should be four of them. We figured it would be good for you guys to see us in action at a bigger stage.”

“ _ Bigger  _ stage? This is a  _ really  _ big show!” Sousuke exclaimed. The Saitama Super Stadium was  _ huge  _ , was Hi-Speed really this popular? “Thanks, this is awesome.”

Makoto just nodded, then he reached inside the case for something else. “Oh, and I did get you a VIP pass, so you can come backstage after the show.” He passed the badge to Sousuke. “I was just able to secure one—so don’t tell the others.”

_ No  _ .  _ Nonononono  _ .

Was Sousuke reading into this too much? He wasn’t sure, and didn’t want to assume, so he just took it as is. “Thanks! This—this is too much.”

“Not at all,” Makoto replied. “We can get dinner afterwards too if you’re up for it. Just think of it as an award for mastering all the chords of the songs.”

“Yeah,” Sousuke breathed. “Yeah, I’ll take it. Thanks.” He was into this. Into Makoto. He did have his reservations—maybe the music Makoto made got to him but this talk they were having? Even if they’ve only talked for a little bit, Sousuke was sure. Makoto was hot—Rin agreed. But there was something to Makoto being the leader of the group, bossing everyone around and telling them what to do—yet his demeanor made everyone think he’s some pushover—or overly sensitive guy. There was something there Sousuke could see, something a bit darker and Sousuke wanted to know what that was.

 

**++**

 

 

The Saitama Super Stadium was  _ packed  _ . Hi-Speed definitely sold out and there was a lot of excitement in the air. Sousuke was glad Makoto had given them pretty good tickets. It was closer to the front, enough to see the stage. He felt bad for the people all the way in the back who has to watch a monitor to actually see the band play live.

This was the second time Sousuke had seen Hi-Speed play live—and it was so much better than watching them through YouTube. He could feel the hype and the energy more. When they’re dancing on stage, he actually followed along. Rin next to him was going hard as usual and the other two—Ai and Momotaro were getting into it as well.

When the seventh song ended, Nanase  stepped up to the mic.

“Good evening,” he greeted and the audience went wild. “Thank you for coming here today. We’re really excited to play our songs for you. If you were at our live a few months ago, this guy—” he pointed to Makoto and more cheers erupted from the audience. “Debuted a song. Makoto has decided that he’ll be singing it again for you today.”

People were screaming now, and Makoto, grinning shyly, handed his guitar to Nanase and walked up to the mic. “Hello,” Damn, the fans were really into this. “Thanks for all the support up til now.” He raised a fist to the air and the music started. Like last time, the song was still as good as it was. Makoto still sounded amazing and Sousuke just watched. He felt frozen, watching every move Makoto made. Every small movement of his wrist, every step he took on stage—Sousuke paid attention to all of it and wondered how people kept their cool around him.  When the song ended, some people called for an encore, which they thankfully obliged.

After a few more songs and with the audience starting to feel tired, Nanase got back on the mic, “Since we sang a new song at the other live, we thought we would do a new song here too. How does that sound?”

_ Of course  _ the audience gave a resounding cheer of encouragement and approval. Rin was freaking out and Sousuke could only wish that Makoto would be the main vocals for this.

He wasn’t.

Nanase took command of the mic. The song started off with a riff from Makoto, then the bass and drums came in. The song is fast paced—energetic and Nanase shows off a vocal style he hasn’t done before. The lyrics were simple and didn’t mean much when it came down to it, but the song showed that Hi-Speed was capable of going into a more visceral rock anthem than what their usual audience expects. The song slows somewhere in the middle where Makoto does his solo. Nanase leaned into him, passing the mic between the two of them.

_ Fuck  _ .

Sousuke was really into this. He wondered if Makoto could teach him  _ this  _ instead.

Then—Nanase pulled the mic back as Makoto was singing into it and in the heat of the moment, he turns his head and kissed Makoto, pushing him back a bit. Sousuke tuned out the screaming fans.

“Oh my God!” Rin was yelling next to him.

_ What the fuck?! _

And when Makoto pushed back to return the kiss, Sousuke loses it.

  
  


**Track One. Act One/End.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ++End song is Ossan Ossan Ore Nanbo by Miyavi  
> ++Fanservice kiss is influenced by Miyavi's fanservice kiss during the "live" in Oresama (lol)  
> ++I know some people really dislike SouMako because it has bad characterization of Sosuke (so, I'm sorry), but I like to think that Sosuke keeps that stoic face of his while he says the things he says and every "why did you do that????" thought is strictly him internally screaming.  
> ++I also like to think that Makoto finds it HILARIOUS that Sosuke says weird things with a really serious face. Maybe he's kind of into Sosuke's gap moe?  
> ++PS: I don't know how to write doing the do, but I'll try (is this a glimpse of what is to come?? (No pun intended) Perhaps?? Maybe? Mostly yes. But you guys might have to wait).  
> 


	3. Track Two. Act Two.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sousuke sulks, Makoto tries to cheer him up. Keyword: TRY.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha--I forgot about this fic and found my notes on it. It went all the way to chapter 12, so I thought I'd get back to this. haha! Enjoy.

****Sousuke didn’t finish the show and gave his VIP pass to Rin who was more than happy to take it from him. Sousuke was just sad—he sort of figured Makoto had something going on with Nanase. Every other cast dinner they went on, they were glued to each other like nothing else mattered. Makoto was _probably_ someone he liked, but Sousuke didn’t go for people who are already in relationships. He knew how that felt like and didn’t want anyone else feeling that way.

Not that it mattered.

Sousuke and Makoto, at this point, are just friends anyway. He doesn’t prefer it this way, but he’ll take what he can get. Doesn’t mean he can’t be annoyed about it  _and_ it didn’t mean he was going to pass up the chance to go to dinner with Makoto. Even if that meant he had to sit across from Nanase.

 _W_ _hy_ did Makoto leave him here with Nanase alone?

“Did you like the show, Sousuke?” The way Nanase said his name—with familiarity—was really annoying. “I saw you leave pretty quickly during the encore.”

Also, was Nanase making fun of him? Nanase raised an eyebrow and rubbed a thumb over his lips, “because I certainly did.” Then he smirked. _Smirked_.

 _This bastard._ Sousuke could have torn his own hair out. Before Sousuke could say anything else, Makoto came back and settled next to Nanase.

“So, what did you think of the show?” Makoto looked at Sousuke with an expectant smile.

Sousuke could ignore Nanase if it was like this all the time.

Almost immediately, Sousuke’s demeanor changed and he smiled at Makoto. “It was great. You were awesome— _ahem_ —as always.” Sousuke wondered if he was blushing. Nanase scoffed while he looked away.

“I’m glad—” Makoto started.

“He messed up his bars during the encore.” Nanase sipped on his water, “and got all flustered.”

Makoto gave a sheepish grin, “yeah,” he leaned forward and ran his hand over his hair ( _fuck_. Sousuke bit his tongue to keep himself from saying something stupid). “Maybe I shouldn’t be teaching you.” It was a joke, but Sousuke doesn’t let it pass.

“No way,” Sousuke leaned back because he thought Makoto’s face was too close. “If they told me I’d have to get a different teacher, I’d quit.”

Nanase groaned. “Okay, this is enough for me.” Nanase stood abruptly. “Makoto, I’ll head out first. Let me know if you’ll come over tonight.”

“Hm,” Makoto nodded and Nanase cupped a hand on his neck, letting it linger there for what seemed appropriate between friends.

As soon as Nanase was out of view, Sousuke forgot himself. “Finally.” He muttered, but it was enough. Sousuke quickly looked at Makoto, nervous all of a sudden.

He only laughed, “you two don’t really get along, huh?”

“Um,” Sousuke licked his lips. “Yeah. Not really.”

Makoto shrugged, “can’t be helped.” He smiled that smile—the one where it reaches his eyes.

“I just...ugh. I think he’s trying to get under my skin.” Sousuke tried to explain.

“Haru is like that, but I promise he’s nice. I thought I’d bring him along because he needs more friends, to be honest.” Makoto sighed, almost concerned.

“And you think I’m a good choice?” Sousuke frowned and Makoto laughed out loud.

“No, not really.” He admitted. “But you seem like you’d be a really good friend after you defrost a bit—you’ve been really nice to me.”

 _Because I (probably) like you_.

“Ah,” Sousuke rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I guess I’ll try to be more patient with him.”

Makoto called for their check, “see. You _are_ a good person.”

“You two are really close,” Sousuke then said, not really meaning to, but it happened.

Makoto grinned, red on his cheeks, “yes. We’ve been together since we were young.”

_Well fuck._

 

**++**

  


“No, the third fret, Sousuke.” Makoto arranged Sousuke’s fingers on the fretboard.

“Oh,” Sousuke fixed his fingers, strumming the chord but it still sounded wrong. He doesn’t make that much of an effort to correct himself, and Makoto noticed.

“Maybe we should take a break.” Makoto took the guitar from Sousuke and put it back in its case. “You seem really out of it.”

Sousuke looked up and scratched behind his ear. _No shit I’m out of it_ . It was just a crush—one of those that don’t get fulfilled, but _man_ does it suck when he can’t have what he wants. Wait— _wants_? Well, Sousuke had thought about it a lot. Maybe. He’s not completely sure yet.

“Um,” Sousuke thought quickly, “the movie announcement just took a toll on me. They were asking too many questions that were too personal, and I didn’t really know how to answer.”

Makoto hummed and glanced at his watch. “Hey, Sousuke,” Makoto stood, placing the guitar case by the coffee table. “You want to get lunch?”

 

**++**

 

There wasn’t much to do to hide their identities when Makoto took Sousuke to a cafe near the apartment, so they tolerated the not-so-hidden camera phones pointed at their direction and the braver fans who asked for a picture.

“Sorry,” Makoto said after signing an autograph for a young fan.

Sousuke shook his head, “no, it’s fine. You’re attractiv—erm, attracting attention because you’re popular.” He tried to laugh off his blunder. Thankfully, it seemed like Makoto didn’t notice.

“You are too!” Makoto assured him, pointing and waving at a young woman who was taking a photo of them on her phone. She seemed startled and sheepishly put her phone away. “See, she was taking a picture of you.”

“You can’t be sure.” Sousuke smiled—genuinely this time.

Makoto raised his brow and waved the young woman over. She was surprised and looked around her before Makoto nodded at her.

“Makoto,” Sousuke started when he realized what Makoto was trying to do, but it was too late.

“Hi,” the woman said quietly, wringing her hands together.

Makoto shifted his attention to her, “we just wanted to know, who were you taking a picture of?”

The woman turned several shades of red and showed her phone. It was clear who the target was. Sousuke blushed a bit, because it’s his face—smiling like an idiot. Makoto was leaned forward in the photo and that made it look like they were on a date.

“Sorry,” she said. “I’ll delete it if you want. I know you don’t like it when people pry into your private life, but I’m just a big fan and this was a rare opportunity.”

Makoto grinned at Sousuke, “see, I told you.”

Sousuke took a moment to think about it, but then, held out his hand for the girl’s phone. “You don’t have to delete. And if you want, we can take a picture together.”

The young woman’s face lights up, and she nodded. Sousuke hands the phone to Makoto and he takes the photo for them.

“Thank you!” She said. “I’m such a big fan. I’m really excited for your new movie! Enjoy your lunch!” She smiled and quickly went back to her table, excitedly showing her friend the photo she had taken.

Makoto laughed, “I’m a little jealous you have earnest fans like that.”

“Someone literally asked for your autograph a little while ago.” Sousuke crossed his arms, he’s being playful.

Makoto shrugged, “Haru is the one they all really like.”

“Nanase?” Sousuke huffed. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Makoto said slowly, watching Sousuke carefully. “Haru has that aloof, dark, personality that most people seem to be attracted to.”

“Is that your type?” Sousuke didn’t think when he said it, but now it’s out there.

Makoto narrowed his eyes, “my _type_?”

“Nanase.”

Makoto sat up straight, frowning, “That’s—”

“Sousuke Yamazaki _and_ Makoto Tachibana!” Someone yelled. “Smile!”

There was a strong flash of light and Sousuke turned around too quickly, he pulled something on his shoulder and he felt a pang of pain.

“Fuck!” He cursed and stood up quickly, rattling the table. Makoto’s glass of water started to tip over and Sousuke reached out but knocked the glass of the table, spilling water all over Makoto’s lap. “ _Shit_.”

“Sousuke,” Makoto put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s fine—”

“Sousuke, how does it feel being back in the limelight after the bar fight scandal?”

Paparazzi.

_Fuck._

That was a sore spot.

Sousuke tried to ignore them, handing Makoto a couple of napkins.

“Come on, Sousuke! Do your co-stars know about your temper?”

“Sorry,” Makoto said to the paparazzi, “we’re having lunch right now. Please leave.” But he gets ignored, of course.

The paparazzi kept taking photos, “Makoto how do you feel about Sousuke almost beating a guy to death?”

“ _Fuck off_.” Sousuke squared himself up and tried not to think about what Makoto could be thinking about him now.

“Sousuke,” Makoto called, but it barely registered.

“Makoto—are you sure you’re gonna be safe working with this beater?!” One of them laughed.

“Hey!” Makoto tried to diffuse the situation, but it wasn’t going to work. He grabbed Sousuke’s shoulder and—

 _Fuck everything_.

Sousuke was never the best in high adrenaline situations like these. Sousuke was also very familiar with his knee-jerk reactions. He moved before anything else.

“Sousuke,” Makoto repeated. Sousuke found he had grabbed Makoto’s shirt, his free hand raised as if he was going to punch him.

He let Makoto go immediately. “Fuck.” He groaned. “Makoto—I didn’t mean—!”

“It’s fine,” Makoto said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. But the damage had been done.

 

**++**

 

“What the _fuck_ were you thinking?” Sousuke’s manager threw the tabloid magazines on the table. “Look at this _shitshow_.” He shook his head.

The headlines couldn’t be anymore clear. Even if no one bought the damn magazine, people would still know what happened.

 

SOUSUKE YAMAZAKI _FREE!_ STAR GETS VIOLENT AND ATTACKS HI-SPEED GUITARIST

_Sousuke Yamazaki, who was recently announced as a cast in an upcoming movie, Free! Gets involved in a violent altercation with Hi-Speed guitarist, Makoto Tachibana while they were having lunch, Tuesday afternoon._

_Insiders said that Tachibana was hired to coach Yamazaki about the life of a musician. While the relationship seemed great at the beginning, a close friend of Yamazaki reveals that the two never had a good relationship to begin with._

_“They can’t stand each other,” our insider reveals. “They try to make appearances together, but behind the scenes, they bicker quite a bit.”_

_Yamazaki’s violent tendencies is not new when he was arrested and later settled out of court for attacking a fan in a bar three years ago…_

 

Sousuke didn’t even want to see what was being said in social media—he felt glad he deleted his years ago.

“What do you want me to do,” Sousuke asked his manager.

“Lay low,” he answered. “I’ll talk to the execs and see if I can fix this goddamn mess.”

Once Sousuke’s manager left, Sousuke took deep breaths—remembering the incident from three years ago.

 _Fuck all of this_. He thought, wondering if he should quit acting sooner than he had planned.  

 

**Track Two. Act One/End.**


	4. Track Three. Act Three.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damage control.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not going to say that this is going to be updated quickly, but I'm the mood and when I've already summarized twelve chapters, why not??? I will probably update quickly until Track 5, then stop for a bit. Haha. Enjoy! :)

**Rin (Personal):** ??? WTF???

Read 7:12PM

**Sousuke Yamazaki:** Not now Rin.

Read 7:12PM

**Rin (Personal):** you dont get to tell me to fuck off. what happened?

Read 7:13PM

**Sousuke Yamazaki:** Did you hear? I apparently beat up people to death.

**Sousuke Yamazaki:** I got fucked over by paparazzi.

Read 7:15PM

**Rin (Personal):** fuck. you know that’s not what happened. 

**Rin (Personal):** that was settled wasn’t it?

Read 7:16PM

**Sousuke Yamazaki:** Doesn’t mean it went away. 

**Sousuke Yamazaki:** It was my fault anyway. I did lose my cool. 

**Sousuke Yamazaki:** Did you read what they’re saying?

**Sousuke Yamazaki:** About Makoto? 

Read 7:20PM

**Rin (Personal):** don’t worry about that. 

Read 7:20PM

**Sousuke Yamazaki:** Hey, I’m not gonna show up for practice for a while. Can you let him know?

Read 7:35PM

**Rin (Personal):** tell him yourself

Read 7:36PM

 

**++**

 

This was more than a shitshow. This was a  _ fucking hot mess _ . After being away from the cameras for so long, Sousuke  _ almost  _ forgot how relentless the media and netizens were. There were so many speculations and so much exaggeration—even telling the truth won’t help. 

What was worse though is what they’re saying about Makoto. 

 

MAKOTO TACHIBANA SHOWS HIS DARK SIDE — READ NOW!

... _ has hanging out with Sousuke Yamazaki rubbed off on Makoto Tachibana? Sources report that Tachibana is just as hot blooded at Yamazaki—breaking band equipment and putting up a front to match his Hi-Speed persona.  _

_ “He actually snobs his fans a lot—and he even talks badly about them backstage. After that, I really couldn't stand working with them anymore. I'm glad people are starting to see the truth.” An old employee states… _

 

It was pure slander. Sousuke knew that much, because he has  _ seen  _ how Makoto was with fans—he hated how his association dragged Makoto’s name through the dirt. The comments on the article made it even worse.

 

**serengeti02...**

_ I expected better from Makoto :( I was a Hi-Speed fan. I knew there was something off about him. _

 

**XpillaX…**

_ For those of you asking for proof, [ _ _ Link _ _ ] it's a video showing Makoto’s interaction with fans. This dirtbag even rolled his eyes at the girl who was trying to give him present. Ugh  _

 

**merrymarrymirry...**

_ I've been saying this forever. I just hope they kick makoto out so that Haru could finally stop being pushed around. _

 

Rin did warn Sousuke not to look at anything online for a while, but Sousuke wanted to know. He wanted to know what he needed to deal with once they resume the movie promotions. 

T his was shitty. 

They haven’t even began filming yet, and there was a possibility they would cancel the film altogether. 

Well, it was just another thing to add to his screw-ups. No. Big. Fucking. Deal. But goddamn it, it  _ was _ a big fucking deal. A lot of money was poured into this. Rin wasn’t cheap—even Sousuke wasn’t cheap. Hiring Hi-Speed wasn’t cheap. How many people did Sousuke fuck over because he couldn’t handle a little bit of taunting from the press? He’d try to do something, but his manager told him to lay low. 

And lay low he did. Sousuke didn’t answer any calls unless it went to his work cell (which only his manager had). His personal phone was left shut off and uncharged. Door locked and the lights were low. Not that any of the press could take a photo of him from this high up anyway. 

Sousuke let himself go—to not think of anything and polluted his mind with random bullshit—video games, movies, exercise (he really needed to find more hobbies). He repeated this cycle again and again. Then when he got bored of it, he would just sit there and contemplate his choices. And when he was  _ really  _ bored he’d read through his script. 

His character was interesting at least. Sousuke was playing a guy named Yoshimasa Hosoya who played the guitar. The character was supposedly sweet and kind—the friendly type who everyone looked up to. Real big brother type. Sousuke laughed at that because he was the complete opposite. 

It was easy to cringe at some of the lines too—especially the parts where he’s supposed to reunite with his ex-girlfriend. No one in real life said shit like that. He took a pencil and crossed out the monologue, replacing it with something he thought suited the scene better—preferring a dialogue instead. Sousuke spent some time editing the script—if he actually proposed these changes, the director would automatically turn it down. 

Then, he was out of things to do. So he remembered shit he didn’t want to. 

 

**++**

 

_ “Congratulations!” The director laughed, already having several drinks in him, “to the best crew I’ve ever worked with.” He started tearing up, taking another shot of something strong. Sousuke didn’t like alcohol, so he just assigned himself as the crews designated minder.  _

_ “Sousuke,” the director cooed, “my handsome, handsome star—you and your pretty face was so good. Who knew you were so good with ad libbing too. YOU made the film my friend. You!”   _

_ Sousuke laughed at the compliment, “I have a good director.” He only said. That was true—never had Sousuke worked with someone so accommodating to the actual creative process of acting. “Cast me in your next movie.”  _

_ The director nodded lazily, “I’ll cast you in everything I make.” _

_ The rest of the crew was busy getting shit-faced, and Sousuke just watched them—enjoying seeing how different the crew was when intoxicated. Jin, who played the stoic villain in the movie was taking over the karaoke machine. And Anna, who played Sousuke’s love interest, was crying at a table, sharing stories about her five year old.  _

_ Things were going well, Sousuke was just glad he could finally relax after long filming days. _

_ It wasn’t until Sousuke heard the small, quiet protests behind him. When Sousuke turned, he recognizes Yuki—one of the lighting technicians—struggling to pull away from another crew member that Sousuke doesn’t recognize. There was no hesitation to Sousuke’s actions. He made a beeline towards the two and got in between the man and Yuki.  _

_ “I don’t think she’s into this,” Sousuke said, crossing his arms. “And you’re drunk. You might want to sober up.” _

_ The man was about as tall as Sousuke—just as big. So of course, he wasn’t intimidated. “Look, I know you’re the big star, but this is between me and—” _

_ “Yuki, tell me the truth, is this guy bothering you?” Sousuke interrupted, glancing at her.  _

_ Before she could say anything, the man grabbed her and the bar got quiet. Sousuke was aware of all the eyes on them. He could feel his manager telling him to calm down.  _

_ “Yuki,” Sousuke barked and she flinched. “Are you okay?”  _

_ It took her a few seconds of hesitation before she shook her head. The man shoved her to the side and sent Yuki stumbling. As Sousuke tried to steady her, he felt the first punch hit him on the side of his head. Sousuke groaned—people were screaming now. He could see people pulling the other man back, but he got away and drove himself into Sousuke. They both go crashing into a table—Sousuke knew he landed badly, but adrenaline kept him going.  _

_ The two grappled and a good punch to the man’s side gave Sousuke an edge. He felt a few people grasp at his shirt, trying to get him to stop. Against his better judgement, Sousuke kept going, but all he managed was to get in two or three punches before they’re separated.  _

_ The man is bloody, but so was Sousuke. He looked for Yuki and she’s there, in the corner looking horrified. “Are you okay?” He gasped. Her eyes are wide when she nodded, pointing at his shoulder.  _

_ “Oh my God, I’m sorry.” She whimpered. Sousuke looked and he sucked in his breath, trying not to panic at the shard of broken glass lodged in his shoulder.  _

 

**++**

 

When Sousuke had found out the man he fought with was the son of an executive, the following days that followed were a nightmare. Not wanting any of this leaked to the press—all the blame was put on Sousuke. 

Who was he compared to the executive who funded the movie? His company was paid hush money and it put Sousuke on a forced hiatus. Every part of him wanted to tell the world what happened then, but he knew what trouble that would put his company in. 

And it was happening  _ all over again _ . 

It was familiar, at least. Sousuke didn’t mind being the “bad guy” if that meant— _ fuck _ . It didn’t matter. He told himself—he made bad decisions, and he’s got to live with it. 

Sousuke buried his face in his hands and groaned. He’s bored out of his mind and he  _ needs  _ a shower. 

He took a deep breath and stood, stretching his arms and legs before dragging himself into the bathroom—he figured he could take a quick one before his take out food arrived. Sousuke only managed to take a step before his doorbell rang. 

A quick peek at himself on the mirror—scruffy, tired... _ sad _ . He scoffed at his own reflection and opened the door. 

“Sousuke,” Makoto said, guitar case in tow.

_ Shit. Fuck. Fuck.  _

“Um,” Sousuke backed away, suddenly incredibly aware with how he looked—smelled? Makoto didn’t give any indication of that— _ because he was too nice _ . “Hi.” 

Makoto doesn’t even wait and invited himself in, closing the door behind him and entering Sousuke’s apartment like he— _ stop it _ , Sousuke scolded himself—lived there…

“You weren’t answering your phone,” Makoto looked around. The apartment was a  _ mess _ but he didn’t seem to mind it—picking up discarded take out containers and throwing them in the trash. “Everyone is worried about you. Even Rin called me.”

“Makoto,” Sousuke started, standing there in his boxers and a dirty t-shirt. He hasn't shaved in days and— _ ugh _ , he was just gross. 

Makoto smiled at him, opening the windows of the apartment to let fresh air in. “Why don’t you take a shower?”

Sousuke shuffled in place, “sorry. I probably smell.” 

“Yeah,” Makoto laughed. “I’ll help you clean up, but you’ll have to talk to me after.” 

Sousuke could only nod. 

_ What the fuck is going on?  _ Sousuke looked at himself in his bathroom mirror and found himself blushing.

 

**++**

 

“I can’t believe you can get so messy,” Makoto sighed, plopped himself on the couch. The apartment was cleaner—not clean as usual, but  _ cleaner _ . “You looked so much older with the stubble.” 

Sousuke breathed slowly, “I think,” he swallowed, “it’s better if we don’t meet—there’s a lot being said and it’s not doing you any good hanging out with me.” 

Makoto didn’t say anything for a few moments before he sighed deeply. “I’m sorry.” 

That  _ hurt _ . 

“Wait—it’s not—!” Sousuke started.

“I’m sorry.” Makoto interrupted. There was an tense silence between them—and Sousuke could only stare. 

It was too much, and Sousuke had to use all his willpower no to touch him. “It’s not your fault.” Sousuke said instead. “I already had a record, this is just an extension of that.” He tried to laugh. “I’m sorry that you got dragged into it. You shouldn’t have taken my side, if I’m being honest.” 

“Rumors are rumors—who cares about those?” Makoto smiled gently. “It wasn’t your fault what happened at the cafe—and I’m pretty sure it was the same thing with the—”

“No, I lost my cool then.” Sousuke admitted. “I really did beat up a guy—well, he beat me up too.” 

Makoto narrowed his eyes, “did the guy deserve it?” He chose his words carefully. 

Sousuke remembered how Yuki went with him to the hospital to get stitches and sometimes visited when he was doing physical therapy. She had thanked him a million times over, confessing that the piece of shit had been accosting her for a while now. “Yeah,” Sousuke replied.

“Then I don’t have any problems with you.” 

Sousuke leaned back on the couch, closing his eyes. “Thanks, that means a lot.” He sighed. “But this still sucks. I don’t want them saying bad stuff about you.” 

“Oh,” Makoto looked genuinely surprised, then a smile breaks across his face. “That’s really nice of you to say.” 

Sousuke could feel his heart beating wildly. It felt like this was a good time to confess because that smile hit him in the right place. Fuck Nanase. Who cared? Makoto could reject him, that was fine. He just wanted to let Makoto know. 

He opened his mouth to speak—but Makoto beat him to it. 

“I have an idea that I’ve been sitting on it for a while,” Makoto said.  _ Damn it _ . Sousuke tried to find a pause, but it didn’t come. “I think it might put you in good mood— _ and _ , it counts for practice.” 

“Er—what is it?” Sousuke said, secretly dejected. He tried to hide it from his face. 

“You should play on stage.” Makoto said, excitedly showing Sousuke the website of a small, intimate venue. “We’ll just go during their open mic—no announcements.”

Sousuke huffed, “no.” 

“Why not? You’re good enough. It would give you a feel for the stage too.” Makoto reasoned. 

“I don’t think it’s a good idea.” Sousuke insisted. 

Makoto shook his head, “come on! I’ll sing you play.” 

_ That wasn’t fair _ . Sousuke thought, because  _ that  _ idea definitely sounded  _ really  _ good. Just the thought of standing on the same stage with Makoto was getting him excited. It could take his mind off things. 

“Okay,” was all he said, because Sousuke decided,  _ yeah, I’m pretty fucking sure I like him. _

 

 

**Track Three. Act Three/End.**


	5. Track Four. Act Four.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sousuke's first concert.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will re-edit when I'm coherent.

“You’re looking way better,” Rin commented when he visited Sousuke at his apartment. “And I heard Makoto comes over a lot.”

“Yeah,” Sousuke said absent-mindedly, cutting up the fruit that Rin brought over. 

Rin groaned from the living room, “so?” 

Sousuke looked up, “‘so’ what?” 

“Oh my God. So are you fucking him?” Rin grimaced. “I should warn him that you're a fucking disgrace when it comes to sex. A waste of a big cock.” 

Sousuke clicked his tongue, “fuck you.” He sighed, “and no. We're just hanging out.” He wasn’t about to tell Rin that he’s nursing a one-sided love at this point. 

“Well, I guess I should have figured.” Rin said, clicking through TV channels. “You aren’t that great with relationships—that’s why we never worked out.” 

“Why the  _ fuck  _ are you bringing that up all of a sudden?” Sousuke felt irritated, because he didn’t think that was true. “What? Did you regret it?” 

“Nope,” Rin almost laughed—thank  _ God _ , because that was a dangerous question. Then he raised his eyes at Sousuke, “if you dated you, you would understand why.” 

Sousuke scoffed, “you aren’t that great yourself. You were so goddamn clingy.” He put the plate of fruit down on the coffee table. 

“I’m offended,” Rin said, “and I have all your exes saved in a chat group to backup my claims—but whatever. I’m glad you’re feeling better. You were worrying me there for a bit.”

Sousuke crossed his arms across his chest, “it’s like three years ago, all over again.” 

Rin said nothing, reaching to pat Sousuke on the back, “it comes with being an actor, we can’t do anything about it.” 

“Yeah,” Sousuke sucked in his breath. “What is Samezuka saying?”

“Just a lot of scrambling, but they’re sticking by you. If that’s what you’re worried about.” Rin pulled up an article from his phone. “They really believe in your abilities and they’re blaming the paparazzi’s for antagonizing you. So don’t worry so much.” 

Sousuke took a deep breath, “Rin, thanks for having my back.”

Rin probably blushed, because he was the type of person to get giddy with small things like that. “Don’t say stuff like that, it’s weird.” 

“Thanks for being so  _ sweet  _ and  _ kind  _ even if you think I’m a waste of a cock.” Sousuke teased and Rin just turned a lot more red.

 

**++**

 

Makoto looked breathless standing in front of Sousuke’s apartment door. He’s carrying the guitar case as usual and grinned. “Are you ready?” 

Sousuke grabbed his scarf and coat from the hooks and nodded, “I’m really nervous.” He admitted.

“Don’t be,” Makoto checked his phones for the directions. “You’ll do great.”

“I don’t know, Makoto.” Sousuke locked his apartment door. “What if I mess up? My hands are shaking so much.” He forced a laugh. 

Makoto huffed, “I’m telling you,  _ Sousuke _ . You’ll be fine. The venue is small and we’re not doing this to show off...it’s just, something fun.” He stared but didn’t smile, “between the two of us.” 

Before leaving the apartment complex, Sousuke peeked outside, thinking there would be paparazzi stationed outside, but it was quiet—and considering it was around nine in a weekday evening, there were only a few people out. 

“Come on,” Makoto grabbed Sousuke’s arm. “It’s not that far and we don’t want to be late.” 

Sousuke was tempted to grabbed Makoto’s hand instead, but he settled for being this close to Makoto. 

They run through the quiet streets, turning a corner before Makoto stopped and checked his phone again. He looked around and pointed at a cafe sign. 

“There it is,” Makoto smiled, pulling Sousuke along. Sousuke remembered passing this place once of twice but never really gave it any thought—and now, it’s going to be a part of his life. 

Inside, the cafe really was small—intimate in the dim light. There was a woman on the stage singing a pretty song with a polite audience listening. Makoto sat Sousuke down at a table and left momentarily to talk to the owner. 

Sousuke looked around, there was a good crowd—most of them were young, college students maybe and conversations between them are quiet. Barely anyone paid attention to them and that probably had something to do with the sleepy atmosphere the cafe had. 

Makoto came back patting Sousuke’s back. “They said we can go up after another act. You feeling okay?”

Sousuke could feel the palms of his hands sweating and his heartbeat going. “Yeah, I think.” He said nervously, drumming his fingers on the table. Then, in something Sousuke completely did not anticipate, Makoto placed his hand over Sousuke’s fingers. Sousuke freezes because— _ What? What the fuck? _ —Makoto squeezed just for a second and then let go. The “hand-holding” only lasted a second—maybe two, but Sousuke’s hand felt hot. If Makoto could see his face right now, he would see that  Sousuke would be several shades of red. 

“Your hand really is shaking,” Makoto laughed softly. “Take a couple of deep breaths—warm up your hands. That might help.” 

_ Let me shove my hands under your shirt then. _ Sousuke thought. “Which song are we going to do?” 

“The second piece—the ballad.” He said before clapping for the girl who just finished her song. She bowed to the crowd and blushed at the whistles and cheers. Sousuke clapped too, although, he had to admit he barely heard her. “Aw, she was really good. Her voice was so sweet.” Makoto smiled, watching her walk over to her table. 

The second piece was a little bit fast—it was the one where the chords tripped him up and the rhythm was hard for him to catch. But this was happening. He was going to go up there and play the song with Makoto—because  _ that  _ notion alone was enough to make Sousuke be okay with making a fucking  _ fool  _ of himself up there.

 

**++**

 

“ I returned, with responsibilities on my back and reputations impossible to follow. A hardness on my brow and a sternness in my cheeks. My mouth was tight and in lines. I poured my wine, and drank.” After a small pause, the man bowed after sharing his poem—which, Sousuke found good. Makoto seemed to think the same thing because he gave the guy a standing ovation. 

“It’s our turn,” Makoto breathed, grinning. He put a hand on the back of Sousuke’s neck—Makoto's __ hand was cold, Sousuke noted, but it felt like  _ fire  _ anyway. 

When they finally get on stage, Sousuke heard a few gasps and murmurs from the crowd. Some already had their phones out. Sousuke wanted to look away, but Makoto only smiled at the crowd. It’s a mystery how he can be calm after all the skewed reporting.

“Hello,” Makoto spoke into the mic, his voice lower than usual. A murmur went through the audience and those who  _ just  _ noticed took out their phones to take a video of the surprise. “Sousuke and I have been working really hard and we wanted to give a special concert.” There was a small cheer from the small audience. “I’d appreciate it if we could all turn off our phones and keep this a special concert between us. Can we do that?”  

A smattering of yeses come from the audience and Makoto awarded them with a smile that brought on giggles. One thing Sousuke could always count on is how people would still be excited in meeting a celebrity, whether they were a fan or not. 

Makoto glanced at Sousuke, “Sousuke has been working with me all this time to get his guitar skills up! He’s a little nervous, so be easy on him.” 

Sousuke heard a quiet, “you can do it!” from someone in the audience and that made him feel better, so he waved at the audience.

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” Makoto leaned closer to the mic, “please enjoy this unreleased song,  _ Love Letter _ .” 

It was Sousuke’s cue and he picked the strings, starting off strong before he went into strumming the guitar. Sousuke had always imagined that the tone was a little sad—more somber and melancholic. He continued, making small mistakes here. Then, it came to his realization that he has never actually heard this song sang—or what the lyrics was even about. So when Makoto started singing, it sent shivers up Sousuke’s back and made him play the wrong chord. 

 

_ Some things in this world are hard to say. _ __  
_ So, to you, doesn't my feelings reach you? _ __  
  


Sousuke wondered if God was messing with him. 

Makoto only glanced at him and gave an assuring smile before belting into the chorus. 

 

_ Overflowing, I will place my feelings in these tears _ _  
_ _ I crushed the words meant for you. _

 

Sousuke could feel himself holding his breath—when Makoto vocalized, Sousuke just stared at him, finally matching his rhythm. 

The audience was quiet, but Sousuke spied their smiles—one was even clutching her hands in front of her chest as she looked on. 

It was time for Sousuke’s quiet solo, and he played through it, proud of himself. 

 

_ Till I know that I cannot reach you, _ __  
_ Since this understanding, I'm fine. _ __  
  


Makoto delivered a powerful bridge—then, a few more chords from Sousuke and the song ended. 

Sousuke was frozen with intrigue and adrenaline. Makoto was already bowing and he pulled Sousuke forward. 

“How did he do,” Makoto asked the audience, slinging his arm around Sousuke. It pulled them closer than Sousuke could manage so he stood up straight. 

The crowd cheered for him, and Sousuke was glad no one was talking about the tabloid stories. 

“Thank you,” Sousuke said, feeling a bit shy. 

As they left the stage, some approached them for photos and since Makoto graciously agreed, Sousuke did the same. 

“I’m on your side, Sousuke!” One of the girls said, and that small gesture made Sousuke a bit happy. 

After a few more photos, Makoto and Sousuke greeted the crowd goodbye, thanked  the owner and made their way out. It’s already close to midnight and the streets were a lot more empty than they were earlier. 

Sousuke didn’t know how to feel—he’s exhilirated, but his stomach felt like it was doing flips.  “You were so good.” He said instead, trying to cover up his nervousness and the quiet. 

“You too! Especially considering how much you were shaking before we got on stage.” He started humming a song, a faster, pop rendition of the song he sang earlier. “I’m wondering if Rin and the others would want to do this too.” 

Sousuke shrugged, not really know what Makoto just said. He was too busy staring at Makoto’s profile. 

This wasn’t good.

_ Fuck _ . Sousuke took several deep breaths.  _ FUCK.  _

Makoto continued talking and Sousuke wanted to tell him to shut up—because Sousuke was so conflicted right now. He internally groaned and looked around. It was quiet.

Cursing to himself, Sousuke held his breath then— 

“Makoto!” Sousuke gathered his courage and called out louder than he intended. “Tell me, quickly. Are you dating Nanase?” 

Makoto blinked his eyes in surprise, laughing after a moment. “No way. We’ve been together for way too long—but I admit, probably in another lif—!”

“I’m gonna kiss you!” Sousuke practically yelled. “So if you don’t like it, just punch me.” And he went for it.

Sousuke pulled Makoto close to him—the gap between nonexistent—and kissed him. It was deep, long, gentle— _ sensual _ . 

_ I’m kissing him _ . Sousuke could barely breath and was completely  _ elated  _ when  Makoto returned the kiss—parting his lips to press his tongue on the inside Sosuke's mouth. This was better than any fucking day dream he could think up. 

When they part, they’re both red in the face, breathing heavily in the cold. 

_ Fuck _ .  _ I just did that _ . 

Sousuke stepped back, trying to gauge what Makoto was thinking.

But—Makoto just  _ smiled _ , “you should go home.” He said, “it’s getting late.”   

 

 

 

**Track Four. Act Four/End.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LMAO. 
> 
> I can't even with these two, tbh. Well, let's quietly see what Makoto is going to do.
> 
> Song they perfom is LOVE LETTER by GERORIN. Y'all should listen to it lol.


End file.
